•Mamo cited dysfunctional sewer systems and illegal dumpsites as some of the main challenges within the Nairobi River basin.
•He promised to audit all the broken sewers for necessary action, adding that a restoration order has been given to map out all discharge points.
The unabated discharge of liquid waste in Nairobi has heightened rivalry between two state agencies.
On Tuesday, the National Environment Management Authority filed a complaint against Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company after discovering that sewage flowed freely into the Nairobi River.
NEMA Director General, Mamo Boru, who visited one of the pollution points in City Park said several pollution points compromise ongoing efforts to spruce up the Nairobi River.
“We want to ensure that this (pollution) is stopped once and for all. As Nema, we will not allow this to happen. Environmental inspectors will go round to audit the sites along the Nairobi River to ensure we do not have discharge,” Mamo said.
“The Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company will provide us with a report of what they have done in the next two months.”
Mamo cited dysfunctional sewer systems and illegal dumpsites as some of the main challenges within the Nairobi River basin.
He promised to audit all the broken sewers for necessary action, adding that a restoration order has been given to map out all discharge points.
The DG gave Nairobi water 24 hours to fix the broken sewer lines.
He identified four points of discharge that must be fixed in the next 24 hours, including City Park, Kenyatta National Hospital, Kirichwa Kubwa and Mathare River.
“If they are not going to fix, then we will take appropriate enforcement actions like arresting and arraigning them in a court of law.”
This is not the first time Nema and Nairobi Water have engaged in a tug-of-war.
In 2019, Nairobi Water Managing Director Nahashon Muguna narrowly escaped arrest for failing to comply with an order to repair the sewer lines.
On Wednesday, a team from Nairobi Water led by Caroline Chepchirchir went to the site to identify the problem before fixing it.
Nema and Nairobi City County government have implemented a Presidential directive to create a 30-meter riparian corridor on Nairobi Rivers including Ngong, Mathare, and Nairobi Rivers under the auspices of the National Disaster Operations Centre.
Nairobi Regional and County security teams have also been helping. Nema said it expected the opening up of the 30-meter riparian corridor to go hand in hand with sustainable measures of cleaning up the rivers and stopping pollution.
Several burst sewer lines have discharged raw sewer into the three rivers resulting in serious water pollution and putting the health of the communities at risk.
“Many households, buildings, enterprises and industries which are not connected to the Nairobi sewer systems discharge effluent directly into the Nairobi River,” Nema says.
Nema suspects industries have connected sewer lines without prior measures to pretreat the effluent as outlined in the Environment Management and Coordination Act of 1999.
The authority says Article 42 of the Constitution of Kenya 2010 calls for a clean and healthy environment.
Article 69 (2) of the Constitution 2010 states that every person must cooperate with State organs and other persons to protect and conserve the environment and ensure ecologically sustainable development and use of natural resources.
Section 87 (1) of the Environment Management and Coordination Act of 1999 says no person shall discharge or dispose of any wastes, whether generated within Kenya or outside Kenya, in such a manner as to cause pollution to the environment or ill health to any person.
Section 87 (4) requires that every person whose activities generate waste shall employ measures essential to minimise waste through treatment, reclamation and recycling.
The authority wants Nairobi Water to increase the connectivity to water and sewer systems to prevent unauthorised and illegal discharges directly into rivers.
It has requested the organisation to ensure all industries connected to the sewer line install effluent pre-treatment facilities before releasing it into the sewer system it operates.